How do people on social media platforms like Reddit describe and discuss their sexuality in open forums?

On social media platforms like Reddit, people talk about their sexuality in many ways—from deeply personal coming-out stories to blunt, no‑holds‑barred AMAs. Dedicated subreddits, creative language, and open forums on and beyond Reddit all shape how these conversations unfold.

Dedicated Communities Set the Tone

Reddit subreddits specifically created for sexuality talk each encourage a distinct, welcoming atmosphere:

• r/sexuality is described as “a safe and sex-positive place” for “serious discussion about sexual issues, personal or merely intellectual” [1].
• r/AskLGBT is “a space for people who are interested in discussing and learning about gender and sexual minorities (LGBTQ+)” [2].
• r/comingout bills itself as “a comforting place to share your story about coming out or discuss ways that you could come out” [6].

These descriptions signal that users are supposed to discuss sexuality openly, supportively, and informatively [1][2][6].

Sharing Personal Coming Out Experiences

Many people use the platform to narrate their coming-out journeys, often with emotional detail and cultural reference points:

• One user had a positive experience, noting “I knew my family would be supportive because I have a trans brother and a bisexual mother” [5].
• Another person used music during a road trip, playing songs like “My Whole Family Thinks I’m Gay” and “Boys Boys Boys” to indirectly come out to their parents [7].
• A subreddit for the show Heartstopper celebrates that “this show has given a lot of people the confidence to finally come out” and invites others to share their own stories [8].
• Not all stories are about full disclosure: a user explained they have “been a closet since I was three” and shared their identity with “every except my family” [9].

These posts highlight how users recount the who, how, and emotional weight of coming out, using a mix of direct language and popular culture [5][7][8][9].

Wrestling with Labels: Queer, Unlabelled, and Everything In Between

Discussions about sexuality labels are common, revealing a wide spectrum of attitudes:

• A 16‑year‑old recalled knowing they were “queer since I was somewhat ten,” but at that age they “only knew two labels at that time. Lesbian and gay” [10].
• Some prefer umbrella terms: a user who is technically gay said “I prefer using queer as my primary label. However, I’m still trying to find out what it …” [11].
• Others choose no label at all: a 16‑year‑old male stated “I’m not straight” and identifies as “queer” or “unlabelled” while figuring things out [12].
• Several reject labeling outright: one person on r/infp noted “I don’t really care about labeling my sexuality. I feel like ‘sexuality’ is such a vague term that it’s hard to fit yourself neatly …” [13].
• A critical viewpoint argues that “putting labels on sexuality (ie. gay, bi, straight, etc.) is not only an incredible simplification of human sexuality, but is outright harmful” [14].

So the discussion ranges from embracing queer, to rejecting labels entirely, to actively debating the usefulness of categories [10][11][12][13][14].

Creative Framings: Love Language and History

People also reach for metaphors and comparisons to express their sexuality:

• In a marriage subreddit, a user reframed sexual desire as a “love language,” calling it “the hardest love language to have” because a spouse might not feel the same way [4].
• In a language‑focused thread, a user pointed out that in Ancient Greek, “sexual orientation was less of a way people used to classify people as opposed to words describing the sex acts done by a …” [3], using history to reflect on modern labeling.

These framings show how everyday concepts and academic perspectives are woven into personal accounts of sexuality [3][4].

AMAs: Sexuality Laid Bare

Reddit’s “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) format brings out some of the most direct and detailed sexuality talk:

• A “very sexually open female” fielded specific questions, such as “What’s your advice on making a woman climax through cunnilingus?” [21].
• Another AMA featured a man who “had a sexual relationship with his mother” as a teen and described it as “positive” [22].
• A 19‑year‑old called herself “a self‑professed slut” and said “I just like sex in a lot of different ways and I’m not ashamed of it” [23].
• A man described his first same‑sex experience in casual detail: “We mostly 69ed/ jacked each other off… I really enjoyed kissing” [25].
• Follow‑up questions even touched on data, such as “how many positive sexual experiences did you have and what changed for you?” along with “hormones and other markers tested” [24].

In these threads, people use explicit, sometimes provocative language, and the back‑and‑forth format makes the discussion a public exploration of sexual acts and identities [21][22][23][24][25].

Open Forums Beyond Reddit Reflect the Same Impulse

Similar candid discussions appear on other online forums:

• The Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) encourages users to “talk, discuss, gripe, or revel about asexuality” [17]. Posts range from casual declarations like “soooooo darn asexuell” [15] to reflections on relationships and ghosting [16]. A separate section invites “a friend, relative or romantic partner of an asexual” to ask questions [18].
• Laura’s Marriage Blog offers an “Open Forum Discussion” page for subjects including marriage, sex, and intimacy [19]. A posted question reads, “What percentage of women actually enjoy sex?” [20].

These examples show that open, direct sexuality talk thrives not only on Reddit but across various platform‑based forums [15][16][17][18][19][20].

In short, on Reddit and similar open forums, people describe their sexuality through personal stories, evolving labels, metaphors, and unfiltered Q&As. The evidence points to a culture where supportive communities and ask‑anything formats invite both careful introspection and unguarded revelation about sexual identity and experience.